Me? No, of course not, what on earth were you thinking. Having never read any of the books in the Twilight series, and having no interest in doing so, I avoided the movie like the plague. But my girlfriend is a huge fan of the books and went to see the movie on opening night here in the UK. Here is what she thought…
Twilight Movie Review by Cloudy
Being an avid fan of Twilight the book, I was expecting big things from Twilight the film. The passion and suspense that was so well written by Stephanie Meyer seemed to be lost in translation and I found myself somewhat disappointed as I left the cinema.
The plot, although similar to the original story with just a few added scenes, seemed non-fluid and gave off a pieced-together-in-a-hurry feel. The character relationships seemed a little awkward at times with inane humor interjected into the exchanges, presumably to appeal to the younger audience.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent attempt at a sterling novel but anyone who has read the book is almost guaranteed to walk away from the cinema thinking ‘what a waste’. I’m in two minds as to whether to blame the screen writer (Melissa Rosenberg) or the director (Catherine Hardwicke) for the film’s shortcomings.
The casting of the majority of the characters in the film was generally good. Rob Pattinson was perfect as Edward Cullen and acted the part spectacularly. Similarly, Taylor Lautner, who played Jacob Black, was ideal for his role. I can’t believe they’re planning to replace him for the next movie, New Moon.
Although Kristen Stewart looked the part as Bella Swan, her acting did leave a little to be desired in scenes with Edward that were written to be full of passion and rapture, where she took on a look of a sad puppy shivering with cold. I’m optimistic that New Moon, to be directed by Golden Compass‘ Chris Weitz, will be the shining star that Twilight is sadly not.
The film soundtrack wasn’t great either, in fact most of the scene-setting music gave the whole thing a comic feel. There were, however, a couple of decent tracks. Supermassive Black Hole by Muse surprised me in the Vampire Baseball scene, giving me a bit of a smile, and the theme music from the beginning of the film was top notch. I had been expecting big things from this soundtrack with appearances by Paramore and Linkin Park but I just wasn’t feeling it.
Overall I would love to give this film more than an average 6/10 but I feel like I’m betraying my love for the book, which I would give a great 9/10. I may well give the film a second chance but it’s more than likely that I’ll pin my hopes on the next film, New Moon, to save the quadrilogy from disaster. I live in hope.
i don’t understand what is the appeal of Robert Pattinson, his nose looks funny
I, too, was sadly disappointed. I feel that director Catherine Hardwicke got some elements right – the casting, the setting, camera shots/angles. But for me, the script by Melissa Rosenberg did not give the actors the opportunity to convey the intensity of their desire and love for one another. And not just between Edward and Bella, but the rest of the Cullen family. Where was the character and plot development? There was no build-up to anything…a real lack of the passion that was central in the entire saga. I worry for New Moon since Melissa Rosenberg is staying on as the screenwriter. I hope Chris Weitz stays committed and faithful to Stephenie Meyer’s vision and does the book justice for its dedicated fans.